Passport Advice
 

I'll be in Brussels. I'm going to be making day trips into Germany and Holland. I know there is no need to take my passport for these day trips, but should I? Would you take your passport with you on these day trips? I'll have a photocopy of my passport and driver license.

Last summer when I was with Portuguese friends they decided to take me to Spain for the day and were horrified to learn I had left my passport in Lisbon at the hotel. Of course, there's no border, you just drive right into Spain and vice versa. But they told me at certain times either government can set up passport checks at the border much as Italy did during the economic summit riots. Is this true?

legally, as a non-EU citicen, you must have your passport with you in any EU country.

For some (like me a Swiss) non-EU-member citicens, a identiy card (not more expired that 5 years) would do it too.

Once in a country I would leave it in the hotel safe if there was one, if there wasn't, or I was crossing borders, then I would take it with me.

One of those things, better to have it and not need it, then to need it......